Inherent-power return signal mechanism.



W. K. HOWE.

' INHEBENT POWER RETURN SIGNAL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, 1911.

Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

2 SHBETSTSHEET 1.

WITNESSES.-

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UNITED STATES PATENT- orrrcn.

WINTHROP K. HOWE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T GENERAL RAIL'WAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF GATES, NEWYYORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

INHERENT-EOWER RETURN SIGNAL MECHAN To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, W INTI-IROP K. HOWE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Inherent-Power Return Signal Mechanism. 1

This invention relates to a semaphore actuating mechanism, and particularly to a semaphore actuating mechanism in which electricity is the actuating force.

The object of this invention is to construct a form of semaphore operating mechanism, which will positively move the semaphore, both from the biased position to the operated position and from the operated position to the biased position.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the figures of the drawings and the characters of reference marked thereon, in which: a

Figure I is a partial front view and a par tial cross section of the electrically propelled means and the semaphore of my invention operably connected. Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic representation of one form of circuit which may be used in carrying out my invention. Fig. III is a perspective view of a lost motion and power storing device used in carrying out the invention.

Construction-1, designates a post on which by means of the pivot pin 2 is pivoted the semaphore 3; 3 designates a crank arm, fastened rigidly to the semaphore, to which by means of pin a is attached the connecting link 5; 6 designates a pin to which the other end of link 5 is attached and which is fastened in the outer end of a crank arm 7; 8 designates a shaft revolving inbearing 9 and having attached to one end the crank arm 7 and to the other the sector 10, which sector has teeth formed on its peripheryto engage pinion 11; 12 designates a shaft to which pinion 11 is rigidly attached and which has also rigidly attached thereto a collar 13 and the stop 14E and which has revolubly mounted upon it an armature which is composed of a central tube 15 having rigidly attached to one end the stop 16 adapted to contact with the stop 14 and having the other end screw threaded to receive a nut 17 which is employed to bind together the laminated disks of iron 18 which make up the body of the armature. On both sides Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February 16, 1911.

respectively 33 a Patented Oct. 27, 1914. Serial No. 609,031.

of the armature there are plates 19 and 20 which plates are formed of a conducting metal and are connected at intervals around the periphery of the armature by bars 21 and 22 which are also formed of a good conducting metal, it being evident to one skilled in the art that the above constitutes the well known squirrel cage armature. To the plate 19 is attached the rod 23, which extends at right angles to the face of the plate and at its outer end has fastened thereto the spiral spring 2%, the other end of the spring being rigidly attached to the armature shaft 12. which are placed so as to coact one with the other, are so made that stop 16 can revolve in a clockwise direction as viewed from the direction of arrow 0, Fig. 1, almost a full revolution before coming in contact with stop 14: and, of course, if it has already rotated the maximum amount and is held in such position, a tension will be exerted upon the spiral spring 2 l which would cause the armature to revolve counter-clockwise upon being released until the stop 16 again contacted with stop 1%. r

The shaft 12 rotates in bearings 25 rigidly inserted in apertures in a case 26, which case carries a structure 27 made of thin disks of iron and corresponding to the stator of the ordinary induction motor and the structure :2? has wound upon it wire 28 as in the ordinary induction motor.

Referring to Fig. 1'1, 29 and 30 designate blocks controlled by semaphores 31 and 32 battery the terminals of which are connected to the two rails of the block; 3% designates a relay coil the two terminals of which are connected to the two rails of the block at the semaphore end; 35

and 59 designate 'armatures controlled by relay coil 3%; 36, S7, 38 designate metallic arms moved in unison with semaphore 31 and are in the position shown when the semaphore 31 is in the full clear position as shown; 39 designates a metallic strip contacted by arm 86 from the 15 position to the 90 position of the semaphore 31, it being understood that the semaphore 31 represents the well known 3-position upper quadrant indication semaphore signal; e0

designates a metallic strip contacted by me tallic arm 37 at the 90 position of the semaphore 31; 41 designates a metallic strip contacted by metallic arm 37 at the 45 position of the semaphore 31; 42 designates a metallic strip contacted by metallic arm 38 from just below the 45 position not quite up to the position; 43 designates a metallic strip contacted b metallic arm 38 from the 9 position not quite up to the 45 position; 44 designates an ohmic resistance; designates one coil formed by the wire 28 upon the stator of the induction motor shown in Fig. 1, and 46 designates the other coil formed by wire 28 and which in the well known manner is displaced in space as regards coil 45; 47 designates a source of alternating signaling current to which are connected wires 46 and 49, which are intended to represent the line wires as used in a system of automatic block signaling; to the two line wires are connected the primaries 50 and 51 of transformers, the secondaries of which are designated by 52 and 53 respectively; 54 designates a metallic arm moved in unison with semaphore 32 and bearing upon metallic strip 55 from the 45 position up to and including the 90 position of semaphore 32. In Fig. 11, the spiral spring is designated by the same numeral by which it is designated in Fig. 1, namely 24, and the bars 21 and 22 of the armature are also designated as in Fig. 1, as is likewise shaft 12.

The arrow (5 indicates the direction of the rotation of the armature when clearing the signal; the arrow 0 designates the direction of rotation of the armature when moving the semaphore to danger, such position being the one shown byFig. I

Opamzfz'on.A train passing upon the rails of block 29 would shunt battery 33 thus dropping armatures 35 and 59 so that the current holding the signal in its clear position would cease, the circuit for such holding current before armatures 35 and 59 dropped, would be as follows: secondary coil 53, wire 56, arn 54, strip 55, wire 57, armature 59, wire 60, wire 61, arm 37, resistance 44, stator coil 45, wire 62, common wire 63, to the other terminal. of the secondary coil 53. At the same time current would pass through the displaced coil 46 from secondary winding 52 by means of the following circuit: secondary winding 52, wire 64, reactance 65, wire 66, coil 46, wire 6'? to the other terminal of the secondary coil 52. The current traveling in the two coils 45 and 46 being displaced in phase by the reactance 65, and resistance 44, will cause a torque on the armature tending to rot-ate it in the direction of the arrow at and by suitably proportioning the resistance 44, the torque of the motor is made of any required value. Upon the dropping of armature 59 however, this holding circuit is broken and the motor armature would be rotated in the direction of the arrow 5 through its connection with the semaphore which returns by gravity to the danger position in the well known manner. If the semaphore 31 should, by reason of snow or ice be stuck in the clear position, the action of gravity would be arrested and a dangerous condition would arise as the signal at the entrance of the block would be at the clear position with a train in the block, but with this invention, as soon as the armature 59 drops, the circuit being broken, the armature is free to rotate and does rotate upon its shaft by virtue of the tension of the spring 24, which causes it to rotate in the direction of the arrow 7) until the stop 16 comes in contact with the stop 14 which is rigid on the shaft 12, the result being that a sharp blow is administered to the connections between thesemaphore and the armature shaft, tending to dislodge the semaphore and free it from obstruction, at the same time the initial motion given to the armature of the motor causes it to continue running as a single phase motor by virtue of the current which is continually present in coil 46 so that even if the semaphore was not entirely freed from obstructions the motor, by virtue of the rotative action of the armature would certainly carry it to the danger position.

In case a train should back into block 30, the semaphore 32 would go to danger in the well known manner thereby causing arm 54 .to break contact with metallic strip 55, thus breaking the holding circuit heretofore described causing in the manner already described, the semaphore 31 to move toward the danger position, but when it reached the 45 position, a holding circuit would again be formed causing it to be retained in the 45 position which holding circuit would be as follows: secondary coil 52, wire 68, armature 35, wire 69, strip 41, resistance 44, stator coil 45, wire 62, wire 70, to the other terminal of secondary coil 52.

A train running onto the rails of block 29 would cause signal 31 to assume the danger position as heretofore described and if the train were traveling from semaphore 31 toward semaphore 32, when the train had entirely left block 29, semaphore arm 31 would be moved to the 45 position by reason of the following circuit: secondary coil 52, wire 68,

armature 35, wire 69, strip 43, arm 38, wire "Z1, coil 45, wire 62,.wire 70, to the other terminal of coil 52, for at the same tune that this circuit was formed, current would also be passing through the coil 46 in a manner heretofore described and as the current in the two coils although from the same source differ in phase, a rotative tendency would be imparted to the armature causing it to revolve in the direction of the arrow a carrying with it stop 16, until the stop 16 had revolved so far in the direction a; that it again :contacted with stop 14, which stop 14 being rigid with shaft 12 would thus cause the armature to thereafter rotate pinion 11 to cause the signal to move to the 45 position, but during the period of free movement the spring 24 would be tensioned sothat it would be prepared to exert force to rotate the armature in the direction of the arrow 7) as soon as the current ceased. The current which moves the semaphore to the 45 position would, at the 45 position of the signal be sent through strip 41 and arm 37 and resistance 44 for, atthe 45 position of the semaphore, arm 38 would break contact with strip 43,.this'change of pathbeing made so as to reduce the current to such an amount as will just hold the semaphore in the moved position.

VVhen the train which moved from semaphore 31 to semaphore 32 passes beyond the limits of block 30, semaphore 32 which went to danger when the train was on the rails of block 30, would then go to the 45 position in the well known manner thus causing arm 54 to contact with strip 55 and so allowing current to flow from secondary coil 53 to the motor in the following path: secondary coil 53, wire 56, arm 54, strip 55, wire 57, armature 59, wire 60, wire 72, strip 42 arm 38, wire 71, coil 45, wire 62, wire 63 to the other terminal of the secondary coil 53. The current traveling in the above mentioned path, together with the current traveling in coil 46, would move the semaphore to the 90 .or full clear position at which point arm 38 would break contact with strip 42 and arm 37 would make contact with strip 40, so that the current in the last traced path would be diverted from strip 42 and arm 38 to strip 40 and arm 37, by means of wire 61 so that thereafter it would be caused to flow through resistance 44 cutting it down as in the case of the 45 position to such an amount as would merely be suiiicient to hold the signal in the moved position. Wire 73, strip 39, arm 36 and wire 74 feed current to the signal in the, rear, just as wire 56, strip 55, arm 54 and wire 57 feed current to the actuating mechanism of semaphore 31.

It must be now understood that applicant has not only devised a means for actuating a semaphore which not only acts in the ordinary manner to allow the semaphore to go to the danger position upon the en trance of a train on the block controlled by the semaphore and which also causes the semaphore to assume the 45 position when the same train travels into the next block ahead and which causes the semaphore to assume the full 90 position when the train has traveled beyond the limits of the block ahead, but he has also devised a semaphore actuating mechanism which has a capacity for storing energy before the semaphore has moved from the danger position toward the clear position, which stored energy when liberated is capable of causing a blow to be struck tending to liberate a semaphore stuck in an operative position and which further causes such a rotation of the armature of the semaphore actuating mechanism that it is capable of further rotation by virtue of current flowing through a constantly energized coil so that a returning torque can be produced upon the armature at all times when a clearing torque can be produced, for, it must be easily seen that applicants device for returning the signal to the danger position upon a change, in the track conditions does not depend upon the completion of any circuit.

. It is to be observed that applicant has not modified or changed the principle or manner of construction of the induction motor shown in any particular for although the lost motion has been obtained between the armature and its shaft, and one end of the spiral spring power storing device has been connected to the armature and the other end to the shaft which bears the armature,the.

principle underlying the invention would still be'present if the means for obtaining lost motion and storing power were inserted at any point in the train of mechanism between the motor and the semaphore.

Having thus fully described the principle underlying my invention and illustrated a physical embodiment containlng my concep tion of an idea of means and having fully described the construction and operation thereof, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a semaphore actuating mechanism, a semaphore, a shaft, connections between the semaphore and the shaft, a stop rigid with the shaft, an armature revolubly mounted on the shaft, a stop rigid with said armature limited in rotatlon relative to the shaft by said first mentioned stop, an arm rigid with said armature, a spiral spring coiled.

about said shaft and having one end connected to said arm and the other end connected to said shaft, a stator including coils displaced in space, a source of alternating current, connections from said source of current to said coils, a phase splitting device in said connections, the continuity of the connections to one of said coils from the source of current being permanent.

2. In a semaphore actuating mechanism, a semaphore having an operated position and a normally biased position, and means to move said semaphore to the operated position and to return it to the normal biased position, said means including a stator member having two stator coils, both of which are in operation during the movement to the operated position and but one of said stator coils acting during said return movement.

3. In a semaphore actuating mechanism, a semaphore having an operated position and a normally biased position, a polyphase induction motor and connections to move said semaphore from the normal biased position to the operated position, a mechanical motor 5 to startsaid semaphore from the operated semaphore having an operated position and a normally biased position, a polyphase induction motor to move said semaphore to the operated position, means to dispense with one oi the phases of said polyphase motor and means to start the motor in the opposite direction when one of the phases is dispensed with to move the semaphore to the normal biased posit-ion.

6. In a semaphore actuating mechanism, a semaphore having an operated position and a normally biased position, an induction motor to move said semaphore to the operated position having a stator including a plurality of stator coils, a source of current to energize the stator coils, one of said coils permanently connected to the source, and an armature, said armature having an independent movement as regards the semaphore, a power storing device charged during the independent movement of said armature, said power storing device so connected to said armature that when current ceases in one of said stator coils said power storing device rotates said armature backwardly,

said permanently energized coil thereafter continuing the rotation of said armature.

T. In a semaphore actuating mechanism, a semaphore having a movement to proceed position and a movement to stop position, means to move said semaphore to the proceed position and to hold it in the proceed position and to move it to the stop position, means rendered efiective when said first named means ceases to hold the semaphore in the proceed position to cause said first named means to return said semaphore to the stop position.

8. In a semaphore actuating mechanism, a semaphore having an operated position and a stop position, and means for causing said semaphore to move to said operated position and to return it to the stop position, said means including a source of current and a stator member having two stator coils both of which are in operation during the movement to the operated position, and but one of said stator coils acting during said return movement. a

9. In a semaphore actuating mechanism, a semaphore having a proceed position and a stop position, an induction motor having an armature, connections between said armature and the semaphore, including a power storing device, said induction motor having a stator having a coil thereon, a source of current, permanent connections between said source of current and said stator coil, said power storing device adapted to start said induction motor, a second coil on said stator and means to at times send current from said source through said second coil to move he semaphore to the proceed position.

10. In a semaphore actuating mechanism,

a semaphore having an operated position and a stop position, a source of current, a

polyphase induction motor having a plurality of stator coils one of which is permanently connected to the source of current, connect-ions between said motor and said semaphore for transmitting motion from said motor to said semaphore for moving said semaphore to the operated position from the stop position, means for connecting the other of said stator coils to the source of current at times to cause said motor to operate, said connections including a device to allow a preliminary movement of the motor independent of the semaphore, a power storing device charged during the period of preliminary movement and adapted to start the motor so that it may thereafter run as a single phase motor energized by the permanently connected stator coil when said other of said stator coils is disconnected from the source of energy to move the semaphore to the stop position.

WINTHROP K. HOIVE. Witnesses:

JAMES E. STEPHENSON, DANIEL T. BUSH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

